Microsoft recently announced SQL Server 2008 would ship in the third calendar quarter of 2008 instead of the second. In spite of the slip, Microsoft is still planning to officially launch its newest database release alongside Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 at its February 27 "Heroes Happen Here" event in Los Angeles. Customers just won't be able to get SQL Server 2008 until the latter part of this year.

The new build includes more data-compression, policy-based management and integrated full-text search capabilities, according to the company.

In order to speed up its SQL Server development process, Microsoft has been testing SQL Server 2008, code-named “Katmai,” via a series of CTPs, rather than more traditional betas.

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 30 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008). She also is the cohost of the "Windows Weekly" podcast on the TWiT network.
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Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.